


Every labyrinth has a minotaur

by mmmajora



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Antarctic Empire, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Royalty AU, Toby Smith | Tubbo-centric, Traitor Toby Smith | Tubbo, dad!schlatt, no beta we die like l'manburg (repeatedly), tubbo and dream are brothers, tubbo deserves more stories centered around him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28923915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmmajora/pseuds/mmmajora
Summary: For the past two years, Tubbo has lived alone on the edges of a town in the Antarctic Empire. Despite what his friends insist, he can't help but feel like he's going to follow in his father's footsteps and ruin the lives of himself and everyone around him. He was doing fine on his own, until one day everything he thought he knew is turned on its head, and he is forced to choose between living up to his father's legacy and the friends he's made.After all, the minotaur's only crime was being born._______________Or, an AU where SBI rules the Antarctic Empire, and Tubbo is a traitor, despite his best intentions.
Relationships: Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 43
Kudos: 240





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Welcome to my first ever multi-chapter story! This was edited by me, so I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
> Heads up that there is mentions of child neglect/abandonment (Tubbo has been living alone since he was 14). Any other warnings will be in the notes for each chapter, so keep an eye out for that. Also, this fic is about the characters, not the cc themselves.
> 
> Enjoy!

In another world, it would have been a perfect morning. The sun’s soft rays painted the world in gold, the few clouds in the sky looked like they’d been placed there by a benevolent painter, and birds chirped a melody of joy. But to Tubbo, the morning’s picturesque nature felt like a slap in the face.

Tubbo had woken up with the sun, like he had every day for the past two years. Although he was only 16, he lived alone in a small cottage on the edge of the city. He felt lucky for what he had. He had his bees, who not only provided him with honey to sell, but also companionship. He had his small farm, which provided him food. He even had a little workshop attached to his house, where he could work on redstone to improve his cottage. He really couldn’t ask for more.

Except maybe a family to share this with.

No, that’s not fair. Tubbo had a brother, and a best friend, and a lot of people who cared about him, or at least pretended to. So he really had nothing to complain about.

But he did have to get started with his day. Like most mornings, he first went out to check on his bees. They were just waking up, beginning to fly around and look for flowers. “Hello, bees!” he greeted. A few of the braver bees came and bumped into him in greeting, bringing a smile to his face. He let out a laugh when one of them bumped into his horns. 

After checking that there was nothing with the hive and that there was no honey to collect, he went back inside for breakfast. He was due to head into town again, as he only had some stale bread and a few jars of jam left. He quickly made himself some toast while going over what he’d need to do in town. He had some honey to sell, a list of materials needed for various projects, a bunch of treats he hoped he could buy, and friends to visit.

Tubbo loaded all of his goods into his bag before heading out, half eaten toast in hand. He carefully covered his horns with a hood, not wanting to advertise his parentage to the world. 

Tubbo was a ram hybrid. He didn’t have many traits, just two small horns that could easily be covered by a hat or hood, and eyes that looked a little more rectangular than normal. With a hat and enough distance, he passed as fully human. He usually covered his head when he went into town, but today especially he wanted to appear normal.

As he walked the path to town, he took in the picture perfect morning. In a way, it felt like the world was mocking him. It was the nicest day in ages, and of course it had to be the two year anniversary of his father’s death.

If Tubbo had his way, he wouldn’t leave his secluded property at all today. But he had put off going into town for so long, and he knew that if he didn’t show his face at least one of his friends would drag him out of his cabin. They were stubborn like that, but Tubbo loved them anyway. He knew it was all out of love anyway.

Sooner than he would have liked, Tubbo reached the edge of town. His first stop was checking in with Sam, who lived just inside the edge of town. 

Tubbo approached Sam’s mechanic shop, watching as the lights turned on as he approached. Tubbo liked working with redstone, and considered himself proficient, but he was nothing compared to Sam. Sam’s shop was bursting with redstone, both projects he was working on and the building itself. Tubbo could never hope to understand it all like Sam did, but he was definitely impressed. Luckily, Sam had told him how to get in, and it seemed like the building itself recognized and welcomed him.

Soon after his father died, Sam had taken him under his wing. When he was younger, Tubbo would spend hours in Sam’s workshop, trying to make his own redstone contraptions work. Sam had offered him an apprenticeship once, but everything fell apart before Tubbo could accept it. Luckily, Sam still let him hang around.

The wall pulled away, showing the workshop and Sam. Tubbo stepped inside, and the secret door closed behind him. Sam looked up from where he was working on something that Tubbo couldn’t quite tell what it was and grinned. “Tubbo! It’s so good to see you!”

“Thanks, Sam. It’s nice to see you too. What are you working on there?” Tubbo asked, motioning to what Sam was holding. Sam pushed up the creeper mask he was wearing that doubled as a face shield, and held out the contraption for Tubbo to examine.

“Well,” he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “I wasn’t expecting to see you today, and I was hoping that this could be a surprise, but it's a little something for you. Have a look!” 

Tubbo examined the object in his hands. At first glance, it seemed like just an ordinary metal box. There was a honeycomb pattern on the outside, and it was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. On further inspection, he noticed a button on the bottom. When he pressed it, the box split open, and a little bee was revealed inside. As if it couldn’t get any better, the mechanical bee began to buzz, and started flying around gently. 

Tubbo couldn’t contain his grin as he watched the little mechanical bee fly around before settling back in the box. It reminded him of his bees at home, and he was grateful that Sam would even think to make something like this for him. The redstone involved must have been so delicate to fit into something so small, and so intricate for the bee to fly so seamlessly.

Tubbo finally tore his gaze away from the bee to look back at Sam. Sam was watching him with a fond smile and soft eyes. Tubbo surged forward, pulling Sam into a hug.

“I love it! Thank you so much Sam! This is amazing!” He pulled away, ignoring the tears shining in his eyes. “You’ll have to show me how you did it. I didn’t even know you could do redstone so small, and for it to fly just like a real bee? It’s like magic!” Tubbo gushed.

Sam nodded, “I wouldn’t call it magic, exactly. I can show you some of the prototypes over here.”

Tubbo followed Sam deeper into the shop, hanging onto every word eagerly.

It was mid-morning by the time Tubbo realized he should probably head further into town. He and Sam had spent the entire time going over redstone. Sam started by showing Tubbo how the bee flew, but it soon turned into a brainstorming session for their other projects. Tubbo had a couple new ideas for how to improve his farms back at his cottage, and he couldn’t wait to try them out.

Before he left, Sam stopped him at the door. “Are you sure you want to go into town today?” he asked.

Tubbo didn’t want to admit that he’d been asking himself the same question all day. Instead he just shrugged.

Sam continued, “I think everyone would understand if you were to stay home, considering it’s, you know, the anniversary and everything. If you’re really worried, I could always do your business for you. I don’t have anything else today, so it would be no trouble, really.”

“No, I don’t need you to go out of your way. I’m sure everything’ll be fine. And anyway, I promised Tommy I’d see him, and you know how he is.” Sam chuckled. He did know how Tommy was.

“As long as you’re sure. You know where to find me if you need anything, no matter how small. Got it?” 

“Yes, Sam,” Tubbo replied, drawing out the last syllable. Sam leaned over and ruffled his hair, causing Tubbo to grumble and pout. Still, Tubbo couldn’t keep the smile off his face for long and he exited the shop feeling lighter.

He trudged toward the town center, occasionally stopping to buy something or sell his honey to his usuals. He noticed that the lights were off in Niki’s bakery, so she was either sold out of treats already or working in the castle today. Niki was the best baker in town, possibly all of the Antarctic Empire, so she would bake for the royal family when they asked. Plus, her and the middle son were rumored to be dating, but Tubbo didn’t believe that. He was hoping that he could have gotten a couple of her cakes or cookies to take home, so it was a disappointment to see she wasn’t home. 

Tubbo headed towards the bench near the central plaza that had become his and Tommy’s meeting spot over the years. Despite everything that had happened, Tommy had been his best friends since they met nearly 10 years ago.

Tommy was the youngest prince of the Antarctic Empire. Emperor Philza ruled the Antarctic Empire. He, alongside his oldest son Technoblade, had freed the people of the Antarctic Empire from the tyranny of their previous rulers. Under the previous rulers, hybrids had been hunted for sport, and most of the empire lived in poverty, barely surviving the harsh winter. Under the leadership of Philza, a hybrid himself, the empire had flourished. There were always enough resources to survive the winters, and hybrids were accepted into society. Philza became a symbol of hope and freedom, and a father to all.

Philza had three kids, all of whom were adopted. Technoblade was the oldest, but no one was sure how old he was exactly. He had helped Philza in the wars to conquer the Antarctic Empire, and if rumours were to be believed, he would have only been a teenager then. Tubbo had asked Tommy how old Techno actually was, but every time Tommy shrugged and said that “The Blade has his secrets.” Part of the reason no one knew was because Techno was a piglin hybrid, and they seemed to age differently. No matter his age, Techno was one of the best fighters the world had ever seen, if not the best.

The middle child was Wilbur. He was much less violent than his older brother, but he was known to go off on his tangents. Wilbur was best known for his music. His songs were famous throughout the land, and people would travel from all over to hear him sing. Rumours surrounded him too. People claimed that his songs were infused with magic, captivating the listener. Others just said he was that good of a musician. Tubbo had heard Wilbur sing before, and he couldn’t tell if there was magic in the words, but it definitely felt like it at times.

Finally, Tommy was the youngest. He and Tubbo had been best friends for 10 years, since they were just young kids. Back then, Tommy had been recently adopted and befriended the first person his age he found. Tubbo had been living with his dad who worked closely with the king, so he’d spent most of his days at the castle, lonely. Meeting Tommy was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and the two had been nearly inseparable since. 

To the general public, Tommy was widely considered a trouble maker. He’d never been to war, and he wasn’t a musician like Wilbur, so to much of the country he was just the third brother. There were plenty of rumours about him, including that he was biologically Phil’s son, but no one was really sure. All anyone knew for sure was that he loved his pranks, and he’d definitely do something great if his family was anything to go by.

Tubbo didn’t know if there were any rumours about him, but if they existed he didn’t want to hear them.

Tubbo kept his head down as passed through the town center. The bustle and hubbub of people rushed past his ears, but he didn’t hear it. He was focused on getting to the bench, where he’d be safe from prying eyes.

Luckily, he got to the bench without incident. As he approached, he saw a figure sitting there. Tommy slouched on the bench, familiar red shirt partially hidden by a royal cloak, blond hair blowing in the breeze, listening to the jukebox.

Tubbo smiled as he sat down. “Hey big man,” he greeted.

Tommy brightened at the greeting. “Big T! You made it! Oh I am so happy to see you today. You know, for a second there I thought you weren’t coming, what with the anniversary and the festival and all today. But of course you couldn’t stay away from me!”

“Wait,” Tubbo questioned, “what festival?” Tubbo hadn’t heard anything about a festival, but that wasn’t surprising. News didn’t usually travel to his little cottage.

Tommy only nodded. “Yeah! They’ve decided that they’re gonna hold a festival today to celebrate Phil not being dead. Plus, who needs an excuse to party?”

Tubbo tried to laugh at Tommy’s joke, but it came out more like a whimper. Instead, his mind was racing. Logically, he shouldn’t have been surprised that there was a festival today. Two years ago, someone had tried to overthrow Emperor Philza, but he’d been stopped. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate the defeat of their enemies?

Last year, Tubbo hadn’t left his cottage for the entire week, so he had no idea what the festival could entail. He didn’t really want to find out.

Tubbo pulled himself out of thoughts, and tuned back into Tommy’s rambling. “Oh you should have seen his face! I’ve pulled some pranks back in the day, but nothing like this big man.”

“That’s really great Tommy,” Tubbo interrupted, “But I probably should be heading back home. With the festival and everything.”

Tommy’s face fell for a moment, before his eyes turned soft and understanding. He nodded, standing up and offering Tubbo a hand. Tubbo took his hand, legs shakier than he wanted to admit. 

Before he could leave, Tommy exclaimed, “One more thing! Phil told me to ask if you wanted to come around for dinner tomorrow. There’s supposed to be this big feast celebration thing tonight, but Techno’s finally back in town so he wanted to do a family dinner night tomorrow, and you’re basically family at this point so he wanted to invite you too!” 

Tubbo wanted to say no, but with the way Tommy was looking at him with eyes full of hope, he couldn’t find it in him. “Sure. I’ll be there,” he responded, trying and failing to sound excited. 

Truthfully, Tubbo didn’t want to intrude on the family gathering. No matter how much Tommy or Phil insisted, he could never be family in the way they were, and every second he spent with them made him remember what he’d lost.

Tommy didn’t pick up on his internal conflict, thankfully. Instead, he just ran off with a last shout of goodbye, leaving Tubbo to find his way home. Tubbo pulled his hood down tighter and kept his head down as headed back through the town center. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see festival decorations, banners and streamers decorating storefronts and houses.

Tubbo had almost made it out of the town center without incident when a gust of wind blew his hood back and revealed his carefully concealed horns. He tried to pull it back up, but he wasn’t fast enough. He heard shouting, and saw wide eyes staring back at him.

“There he is! That’s the traitor’s son!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo's knight in shining armor arrives to save the day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support on the first chapter! I'm really excited for this, and I'm glad you guys are too. This ones a little shorter, but please enjoy!
> 
> Again, a slight trigger warning for this chapter for mentions of child neglect (and maybe a little abuse? not really there but just a heads up) as well as mentions of past character death.

_“There he is! That’s the traitor’s son!”_

Tubbo was frozen in the middle of the plaza. It felt like all of his nightmares were crashing down. He was torn between the desire to run away from what seemed like it would soon become an angry mob or cower in place and try to hide from the violence that was sure to follow.

Logically, Tubbo knew he didn’t have any reason to fear the townspeople. No one had done anything to him in the two years since his father’s attempted coup and subsequent death. Even now, they’d only been stating a fact, not even insulting him. Logically, he knew he would be fine, and there was no reason he couldn’t just go back to his cottage and forget about all of this.

But Tubbo wasn’t thinking logically. 

Tubbo was surrounded by people on all sides, all staring at him. He felt like an animal in the zoo, gawked at for entertainment. Tubbo didn’t choose his father, and he definitely didn’t agree with his actions, but he was still paying the price for his sins. Yet he still couldn’t bring himself to resent his father. Especially not on the two year anniversary of his death.

Tubbo hadn’t moved when he heard a murmur go through the crowd. He couldn’t quite see what was causing the commotion, but he was happy to have the attention off him.

The crowd parted, revealing a lone figure on a horse. From their shiny netherite armor and blue and white shield adorned with the Antarctic Empire’s Emblem, everyone knew that this was one of the king’s knights. This particular knight was sat atop a white horse, and his face was covered by a white mask with a crudely drawn smiley face on it.

Dream, captain of the knights, was staring down at Tubbo.

People murmured to each other in awe. “That’s him!” they seemed to say, “that’s the one who slayed the dragon. He’s the one who killed the traitor. He’s the savior of the empire!”

“Knight Dream,” one of the braver townspeople said directly, “we believe this particular boy is the son of Schlatt.” He spit out the last word like it was poison.

Dream’s expression was unreadable underneath his mask, and his body language gave away nothing. Tubbo tried not to panic. He wasn’t sure if even Dream could save him from the angry mob, worst come to worst.

Dream did not seem as concerned as Tubbo felt. He addressed the entire crowd, “So?” he gestured widely, “Tell me, has this boy committed any crimes? Or are you just blaming him for his father?” Even without being able to see his face, anger rolled off of Dream in waves. The nearest people shrunk back, clearly realizing that Dream was not on their side in the situation.

The man who spoke earlier spluttered, “W-well I- I was just thinking… I mean-” but was quickly cut off by Dream raising one of his hands.

“If there’s no actual problem here, I’ll escort this boy home.” The crowd continued to stare, no one moving a muscle. “Well, what are you waiting for? The show’s over.” Dream practically yelled, causing the crowd to scatter.

Dream spurred his horse forward until he was standing directly in front of Tubbo, who still hadn’t moved. Tubbo tried to remind himself that behind the mask and the armor and the fancy shield, the was Dream. This was his older brother, who held him when he cried, who always made time for Tubbo even with his knight duties, who also killed their father.

But that wasn’t fair to Dream. Schlatt was beyond saving by the time he died, that much was clear. 

Phil was a good emperor, and him and Schlatt had once been friends. Once upon a time, Schlatt had even been Phil’s right hand man. Tubbo remembered those days fondly. Schlatt, Tubbo, and Dream had been one big happy family, and Tubbo spent every day with Tommy and every night with his family. 

Of course, happiness never lasted long. Schlatt no longer worked for Phil for reasons he’d never told Tubbo, and Dream began spending all of his days training to become a knight. Tubbo had been only 7 years old, but he watched his dad slowly spiral into the depths of alcoholism and crime. 

Once Dream became a fully fledged knight when he turned 18 and Tubbo was 13, Schlatt became worse and worse. He had never hurt Tubbo, never hit him or anything like that, but in a way that made it worse. It only made it harder for Tubbo to accept that the dad who loved him was gone, and in his place stood a power hungry maniac who would stop at nothing to get revenge.

Schlatt had attempted to murder Phil and take over as emperor, but he had barely made it into the castle before he was stopped by his very own son. Dream had been the one to kill Schlatt, taking one of his horns as a trophy. For his actions, he was promoted to Captain of the knights.

No one knew that Dream was Schlatt’s son. No one knew what had actually happened that night besides Dream and Schlatt. A traitor and a knight entered the castle, and one of them walked out with the horns of the other as a victory trophy. Dream was the hero who slayed the dragon, not the son who chose his country over his father. After all, dead men tell no tales.

No one knew that Tubbo was actually Dream’s younger brother.

Sure, the royal family knew, but even they didn’t really think about it. Dream didn’t have horns like Tubbo and Schlatt did. He did have the signature ram eyes, but his mask hid that well enough. And anyway, who would dare question the hero who saved the emperor? 

Once the townspeople had all gone back to their business, Dream reached a hand down to help Tubbo onto the horse. Tubbo’s legs still felt weak from earlier, so he was glad to be able to sit down. It was only after he’d gotten onto the horse and they were approaching the edge of the square that Tubbo realized not only had he not spoken a word to Dream, he also didn’t know where they were headed.

“Thanks Dream, for saving me back there. I really appreciate it,” Tubbo said, grateful for the fact Dream couldn’t turn around and look at him.

Dream responded softly, “Of course, Tubbs.”

They fell back into comfortable silence. After a couple more minutes of riding, Tubbo realized that they were approaching his cottage. Dream had only been there a couple times before, usually too busy to travel all the way to Tubbo’s little cottage, far away from the castle where Dream lived and worked.

Finally, they arrived at their destination. They both hopped off the horse, and Dream led the animal to the small stables that Tubbo had built next to his house. Tubbo was feeling a little more steady on his feet, both because he was away from the crowds and because Dream was there to protect him.

Tubbo headed inside, and started heating up some hot water for tea. Dream came inside shortly after, and stood in the doorway just watching him putter around. Dream looked like he had so much he wanted to say, but he only stood in silence, watching his little brother.

After the kettle was set on the stovetop and Tubbo couldn’t find anything else to do, he turned to his brother. Dream had removed his mask at some point, and his green eyes were staring at Tubbo with a look of poorly masked concern. 

Before Tubbo could say anything, Dream crossed the kitchen in three large steps and wrapped Tubbo up in a hug. Tubbo couldn’t help it; he broke down crying in his brother’s arms.

Tubbo had woken up feeling awful, completely alone in his house with his only family dead or barely bothering to visit him, and then the incident in the town had happened. Frankly, it was a miracle he hadn’t cried yet. But in his brother’s protective embrace, he let himself fall apart.

“I-It’s just,” he sobbed, “I just miss him so much, you know? And I know, I know that he wasn’t good or anything, but he was still my dad! And all I have left of him, all I’ve got are these stupid horns and these weird eyes and whenever anyone sees me all they see is- is _him_. And I know we’re not the same, I know that, but sometimes it feels like part of me died with him. Because I can never be myself anymore, not when I might end up like that. And Phil and Tommy and everyone are just so nice to me, but I don’t know why! I know that Phil still sees a traitor when he looks at me, and I know that there’s something wrong with me and you saw the people earlier and I just…” Tubbo broke off, overcome with tears.

Dream stood there, listening quietly and holding Tubbo through the tears. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for his part in all this. The situation with Schlatt was… complicated, to put it simply, and his role in it had only made things worse. And he couldn’t help but feel guilty that he spent so little time with his brother. He loved Tubbo with all his heart, but his job was demanding. He knew that wasn’t an excuse, but even he still sometimes saw Schlatt when he looked at Tubbo. Seeing his baby brother, a spitting image of their traitor father, became too much sometimes. What an awful thought that was, and that absolutely didn’t excuse the fact that Dream had failed his brother.

The kettle whistled and Tubbo’s sobs subsided, so Dream carefully poured them both a cup of Tubbo’s favorite tea and led them to the sofa in the adjacent room. Tubbo sipped at his tea, still sniffling and avoiding Dream’s eyes.

“Tubbs, you know it’s okay to break down, right?” Dream asked quietly. Tubbo shrugged, avoiding his eyes.

“You’re so strong, but you’re allowed to fall apart,” Dream continued, “Everyone does. Even I do. I know I may play the part of knight in shining armor, but I’m not indestructible. And I don’t expect you to be.” 

Tubbo finally looked up at Dream. “Yeah, but you’re the one who saved Phil! I’m just a traitor’s son, and honestly I don’t know why anyone keeps me around anymore.”

“Tubbo…”

“No! You heard the people in the town! They hate me, they think I’m a freak, they think I’m just like da- like Schlatt. And they might be right!” Tubbo yelled, emotions spilling over after being kept in for so long.

Dream didn’t know what to do. Tubbo would never end up like Schlatt, he knew that. Clearly, this had been weighing on Tubbo for a while, and the anniversary seemed to bring it to the surface.

He pulled Tubbo into a hug and murmured, “But you’re not him, Tubbo. You’re you, and nothing will change that. Hell, just the fact that you’re worried about turning into him shows that you’re not him.” 

Tubbo tried to push Dream away, but after a feeble attempt let himself relax into the hug. He hated it, but he knew that Dream was right. He’d seen Schlatt spiral, and he knew he wasn’t that far gone. He was still haunted by the looming threat that he’d inherited more than just some horns from him, and one day he’d be so far gone the only way to stop him would be to kill him. But today wasn’t the day that would become a reality.

Dream continued, “I promise you, I’ll never let you get that far. I won’t kill you, I won’t make that mistake again. But I will do everything in my power to make sure that you don’t get that far. I promise.” 

“You promise?” Tubbo asked, voice weak from crying. 

“I promise.”

Dream knew that he’d keep that promise, no matter what. Even if he had to give up being a knight, he’d choose Tubbo over everything. Tubbo was everything to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I couldn't but make Dream, Tubbo, and Schlatt a family, because honestly that family dynamic is really interesting I feel like. Right now, I'm still setting up some stuff, but we'll probably hit plot in the next few chapters. But we will see more SBI next chapter! So get hyped for that.
> 
> Comments are kudos are greatly appreciated! If you want to come yell at me about this, my tumblr is @mmajora. Next update will hopefully be out within a week, so see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! Life got pretty crazy, but here's a new chapter! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> No new trigger warnings for this chapter.

Dream had ended up staying the night. The next morning, Tubbo woke up feeling a bit better, and only slightly embarrassed about his breakdown. Dream was his brother, so Tubbo knew he shouldn’t feel guilty for crying in front of him. But with how infrequently they saw each other, sometimes it felt like they barely knew each other. He hoped that would change.

Tubbo got out of bed and headed to the main area of the house, mindful of Dream still sleeping on the couch. Without his mask or fancy armor, he looked just like any other 21 year old. He seemed content, and Tubbo couldn’t help but stop to take in the image of his brother in his home, happy. 

He stepped outside to check on his bees and by the time he came back inside Dream was awake and puttering around the kitchen. When the front door opened, Dream jumped before relaxing at the sight of Tubbo. “Good morning!” Dream greeted, “Why are you up so early? Aren’t teenagers supposed to sleep in and not wake up until noon? Ender knows Tommy does.”

Tubbo chuckled. He did know how Tommy was in the mornings, having slept over more than once at the castle. “Well some teenagers have responsibilities, unlike Tommy,” Tubbo responded.

Dream’s face fell momentarily as if realizing that Tubbo, although still a child, was entirely self sufficient by necessity. Before the guilt could burrow deeper, he shook his head and laughed at Tubbo’s joke.

“Speaking of Tommy,” he asked, “how do you feel about coming to the castle with me today? It’s been awhile since you visited, and I know everyone misses you. Even Techno, just don’t tell him I said that.”

Tubbo was torn. On one hand, he knew Dream wouldn’t lie to him, especially not about this. But on the other, Tubbo saw the way Phil flinched when he saw Tubbo out of the corner of his eye, the way Techno’s hand would reach for his sword when he saw the shadow cast by Tubbo’s horns, even the way Wilbur wouldn’t always meet his rectangular eyes. No matter what Dream or Tommy said, he wasn’t missed by them, and he was barely tolerated as is.

Still, Tubbo couldn’t exactly voice these concerns to Dream, and he did enjoy getting to hang out with everyone. He supposed one day wouldn’t be so bad.

“Sure!” he replied. A day spent at the castle wouldn’t be too bad, hopefully. Worst comes to worst, he could just go hang out with Dream and the knights. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The ride to the castle went by mostly in silence, but it was a much more comfortable silence than the one the day before. The castle loomed large, surrounded by an imposing wall and well maintained grounds. The castle itself was massive, made of stone and decorated with blue and white, the colors of the empire. The castle housed not only the royal family, but also all of the knights, staff, advisors, and visiting ambassadors. The castle was always bustling with activity, even in the dead of night. 

When they approached the gate the guards cheerfully nodded them through, easily recognizing Dream now that he was wearing his signature mask and armor again. They approached the stables where they both hopped off the horse. Before Dream could even begin tying up his horse, a red and white figure came rushing at them.

“Tubbbbbooooo” Tommy shouted, tackling Tubbo into a hug and knocking him off his feet. They both ended up sprawled on the grass, Tommy lying on top of Tubbo and effectively pinning him down. Off to the side, Dream wheezed at their antics.

Tubbo groaned, trying to push Tommy off but failing. “Hello, Tommy,” he sighed with mock annoyance, barely able to keep the smile off his face. Tommy just laughed at his struggle.

“Tommy, where did you run off to now?” someone called from over by the castle. Tommy made a face, clearly not ready to get off of Tubbo.

Tubbo saw Wilbur approach them and tried to suppress the anxiety that always came with seeing a member of the royal family. He knew Wilbur didn’t hate him, but that didn’t stop the instinctive bubble of anxiety. 

“Tubbo!” Wilbur exclaimed when he finally noticed the brunette sprawled out underneath Tommy. His face lit up in a genuine looking smile, and he leaned down to ruffle both his and Tommy’s hair.

“Alright gremlin, let Tubbo up. You barely see him, do you really want to spend all day lying on the ground?” Wilbur chastised. 

Tommy flipped him off and continued to lie there, while Tubbo just sighed. They probably would have stayed there for hours, but Wilbur came over and pushed Tommy off, having the advantage of height. Tommy rolled over with a dramatic groan. Tubbo laughed at their antics. It reminded him of how he and Dream used to act, before everything.

Both boys got to their feet. Wilbur offered a hand to Tubbo and pointedly ignored Tommy. After dusting himself off, Tubbo turned to Tommy and Wilbur to see what the plan was. He couldn’t see Dream anywhere, so he must have gone off to attend to his fancy knight duties while Tubbo was distracted.

Tommy beamed at him. “Oh Phil is gonna be so happy you’re here! He’s been wanting you over for ages, you should hear how he nags me. He’s all like ‘Oh Tommy won’t you ask Tubbo to come over? We haven’t seen in sooooo long and he’s just such an angel that I can’t bear to go another day without seeing him!’ Like he doesn’t have three big men sons already! Well I guess 2 big men and Wilbur.”

“Oh you little–”

Wilbur grabbed for Tommy but he was already running off in another direction. Tubbo trailed behind them, laughing. As hesitant as he was to come, he did really enjoy hanging out with them. Today really wouldn’t be that bad.

Tubbo took back everything he’d said about the day being okay. He’d spent the rest of the morning and all of the afternoon with Tommy. Wilbur had hung around for a few hours before going off to work on his music. Tubbo had had a great day. Tommy was his best friend, and nothing cheered him up quite like spending time with Tommy.

But now Tubbo had to go to dinner with not only Tommy and Wilbur, but also Phil and Techno. Techno was terrifying because he could beat the shit out of Tubbo if he wanted to, but Phil was terrifying for an entirely different reason, not that he couldn’t kill Tubbo if he wanted to.

Phil was almost like a father to Tubbo, so the way he still saw Schlatt when he looked at Tubbo cut even deeper. Regardless, Phil was nothing but polite to Tubbo, so he couldn’t exactly turn down Phil’s offer for dinner after spending all day with Tommy at the castle.

As he and Tommy approached the dining room, the familiar feeling of anxiety washed over him. Luckily they weren’t eating in one of the official dining rooms, but it was still intimidating to eat dinner with the king in the castle, no matter how well he knew him or how frequently he’d been in this exact same situation.

Phil, Techno, and Wilbur were already there when they entered the room. Phil immediately leaped out of his seat and rushed towards Tubbo. Tubbo suppressed a flinch at the sudden action, but he relaxed into Phil’s arms when they surrounded him in a gentle hug. Besides Dream the night before, it had been awhile since he’d been hugged, let alone touched without malice.

Phil pulled away, and exclaimed, “Tubbo! It’s great to see you mate. It’s been so long, and, well, I’m sure Tommy’s already told you about all of that.” Tommy made a face behind Phil’s back. “Anyways, come sit! We’re just having some mushroom stew tonight. Techno was the one to come up with this recipe, and it’s great.”

Tubbo and Tommy walked over to the two empty chairs. Tommy ended up sitting next to Techno, with Tubbo on his other side. Tubbo was glad that he at least had Tommy on one side, but he ended up with Phil on his other side.

The food was dished out, and they all began eating while chatting lightly about their day. Tubbo mainly listened, enjoying the surprisingly good stew and the feeling of belonging. 

In a lull in the conversation, Tubbo chimed in, “This stew is really good Techno!”

“Heh, thanks,” Techno muttered. Tubbo was pretty sure that was as close to blushing as Techno ever got.

“No really, if you don’t mind I’d love the recipe. I’ll have to try and make it for myself sometime. I could really use some more easy recipes to try.”

Techno nodded in response. Phil took the opportunity to ask, “Speaking of, how have you been? Dream mentioned something about an incident in the town yesterday, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay with you.”

Of course Dream told Phil. It shouldn’t really be surprising, considering Phil was both emperor and also Dream’s boss, but it still stung a little bit. However, Tommy seemed more hurt by this information than Tubbo was.

“What?” he screeched, “There was an incident? Tubbo I literally saw you in town yesterday! Why didn’t you tell me? You know I’d kill a bitch for you.”

Tubbo hated how all the attention had turned to him, even if it came from a place of concern. “I’m fine Phil, really. It wasn’t a big deal. Tommy, I know you’d do that, but I gotta fight my own battles too. And it was on my way home, so you weren’t there. But it wasn’t a big deal! Dream probably over exaggerated it.”

It definitely was a big deal, but they didn’t need to know it. Tubbo was _fine_. He didn’t need their pity, and he certainly didn’t need them to fight his battles for him.

Phil responded, “What’s important is that you’re alright, Tubbo. You know we’re here for you, right?”

Tubbo nodded. “I know. And if there was an issue, I’d tell you. But I promise it wasn’t anything, just a little misunderstanding. Only a conversation, really.”

Phil still didn’t look convinced but dropped it with a simple, “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He didn’t need to know that almost everything Tubbo said was a lie. 

Unfortunately, Tommy was not so easily persuaded. “Tubbo, I care about you man. It’s not pity or some shit, I just want you to be okay! No one should be bullied, and especially not you.”

Wilbur laughed, ruining the moment. “Awwww, does Tommy actually care about something?” he baby-talked. 

Tommy reached across the table, but before he could smack Wilbur, Phil interjected with, “I heard there’s dessert,” quickly getting the attention of his squabbling kids.

Tubbo gave a sigh of relief now that the attention was off of him. Techno was still watching him, but he seemed more concerned than wary, so Tubbo would take it. Even so, he felt like he could breathe easier, and he hoped the rest of the night would go by without any other hiccups.

After a long discussion, Tubbo finally convinced Phil that he didn’t need to spend the night, and that he did have things to do back at his cottage. Tommy had been reluctant to let Tubbo go, but Tubbo had convinced him by promising to visit again in the couple days. This was enough to at least get Tommy to let go of his hand. And Tubbo was supposedly the clingy one.

One of the knights, a friend of Dream if Tubbo remembered correctly, was escorting him to his house because of the late hour. Phil had insisted, and Tubbo couldn’t exactly turn him down. He did feel safer going through the town knowing that he was protected. 

Once he reached the cottage and sent the knight back to the castle, Tubbo bustled around and began organizing everything he would need for the next couple days. He would need to make sure all of his animals were okay, and he had several redstone plans, not to mention lots of farming he’d been neglecting.

However, while he was in his kitchen, he heard a weird noise. It sounded almost like a rock hitting the window in the dining room. Tubbo cautiously grabbed a nearby knife, and approached the window. With the lights from the kitchen and the darkness outside, all Tubbo saw was some trees and his own reflection.

Tubbo was about to turn around and go back to his work when his heart dropped.

His reflection was grinning back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have finally arrived at the plot. Hmmmm I wonder what could be going on?
> 
> Part of the reason it took me so long to update was because I'm one of the mods for the Dream SMP Big Bang. Sign ups opened yesterday, and if you're interested check out [the tumblr](https://dsmp-bigbang.tumblr.com/) for more information!
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! I will hopefully be posting the next chapter soon. Don't want to leave you on a cliffhanger for too long :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back baby! Thank you guys so much for 200 kudos and over 2000 hits! That's awesome!
> 
> Heads up for this chapter, there is discussion of a character faking their death and a character is on the verge of a panic attack, but it's not super detailed (mainly focusing on their mental spiral).
> 
> Enjoy!

“Dad?”

Tubbo was frozen in place. His reflection- no, it definitely wasn’t a reflection. It was Schlatt, staring back at him. Grinning at him. Very not dead, and very much smiling at Tubbo.

Seeing Tubbo’s shock, Schlatt smiled wider. He opened his arms as if he wanted a hug, before realizing that there was still glass separating them. “Are you gonna let your old man in, or am I just supposed to freeze my ass off out here?” he asked.

Tubbo was jolted back to himself and started moving towards his front door. When he unlocked it with trembling hands, Schlatt was on the other side waiting for him. This time, he didn’t pull Tubbo into a hug, just stood there staring at him. They hadn’t seen each other in two years, and Tubbo was so much more grown up than when Schlatt had left.

“I thought you…” Tubbo trailed off. Was this even really his dad? Or was this just some sick joke? Could hybrids come back to life? He had so many questions and no idea where to start. 

Schlatt chuckled. “Yeah I bet you thought I was fucking dead, huh? Your older brother with his ideas, thinking it’d be easier if you really thought I was actually gone. Not having to lie and all that shit. Did you really think I’d go down that easily?” 

Schlatt walked into Tubbo’s cottage like he owned the place. He sat down in the living room, leaving Tubbo behind in the doorway.

Tubbo was in shock. “But Dream killed you! He told me himself! He even had one of your horns as proof.”

“You really think he wouldn’t lie to you?” Schlatt asked, voicing all of Tubbo’s fears. Dream may be distant, but they were still brothers. Dream had comforted Tubbo yesterday! He’d held Tubbo while he cried on the anniversary of their fathers death. 

Looking back, Dream didn’t seem nearly as upset as he should have been. Dream had barely seemed sad, and only seemed to respond to Tubbo’s grief, not grieving himself. So was this actually true?

Schlatt continued, “Oh you’re seeing it now, aren’t you? Dream’s full of shit. Being a knight ruined him. The best thing he ever did was let me go, but he didn’t even have the heart to tell you the truth. Just let you cry on his fucking shoulder and play the hero.”

Was Dream really lying about everything? Was his comfort just a lie? Tubbo felt like the world was crashing down around him. His dad was alive, his dad was here, and Dream lied.

Tubbo asked the only thing that came to mind: “But how did you do it? Phil’s not stupid, and Techno… how’d you pull it off?” He couldn’t help it. Even if it felt like everything was falling apart, some deep part of himself was curious how Schlatt had managed to convince some of the smartest people in the empire that he was dead. Because if Schlatt could do it, then…

But that was a bad train of thought.

Schlatt chuckled again. It seemed like that was all he did in response to Tubbo; he just laughed at him like Tubbo was still the naive child he was before Schlatt died. “You’re right. If Phil is one thing, it’s ‘not stupid’” he spit out Phil’s name like poison, “Dream needed proof. So here I am, missing a horn but with my life. A decent trade, but still a bitch.” Schlatt gestured to his right horn.

He must have missed it earlier in his shock, but Schlatt’s right horn was barely a stump. Where a huge horn should be was just the sad base. Looking his dad over again, Tubbo realized just how bad he looked. He had bags under his eyes, his skin was paler than it should be, and his expression made it seem like he was on the verge of mania. What had happened to him in the past two years?

Schlatt clapped his hands, causing Tubbo to jump. “But enough about me! How have you been, kid?”

How did you tell your dad who just returned from the dead after two years that he ruined your life? Tubbo had no idea. 

“Well,” Tubbo mumbled, “it’s been okay, I guess. I still talk to Tommy and everyone, and I just saw Dream yesterday. It was a bit rough because I still thought you were dead, but I’m alright I suppose.” Nevermind that he glossed over pretty much all of the bad stuff and the fact he literally talked to Phil hours before. Everything was alright, he was fine. Maybe if he said it enough it would be true.

Schlatt perked up at the mention of Tommy. “You still talk to that kid? I thought that after everything and, well, me, he’d fucking hate you. But if he doesn’t, then that’s great! You could really use a friend your age.”

Tommy doesn’t hate Tubbo, right? No. He doesn’t hate Tubbo, because if he hated Tubbo he wouldn’t keep inviting Tubbo into his house, and he wouldn’t be so happy to see Tubbo, and he wouldn’t care so much, right? Right. 

Tommy is his friend! Tommy doesn’t hate him.

Schlatt was wrong. Yeah, Schlatt was wrong! He hadn’t been around for two years, so he didn’t know what was going on. That was why he kept telling Tubbo things that weren’t true. He just didn’t know, which made sense.

Tubbo shrugged. “We’re still friends! He doesn’t blame me for, uh, that.”

“That’s great kiddo! So you still see Tommy and them regularly?” Schlatt asked, smiling.

Tubbo nodded. Hadn’t he just told Schlatt that he talked to them?

Schlatt continued, “Wonderful, kiddo. Oh this is gonna be perfect.” His smile verged on manic again, making Tubbo uneasy. Was Schlatt planning something? He’d barely escaped his last scheme with his life, so would he really be stupid enough to try something again? Tubbo hoped not.

“What’s gonna be perfect?” Tubbo asked. 

Schlatt shrugged, and waved his hands around. “Nothing you need to be worried about! I’m just glad you’ve got people, is all.” That made sense to Tubbo. “I felt awful for leaving you all alone for these couple years. I’m not gonna be winning any father of the year awards anytime soon, but I hope to make it up to you. What do you say that we both head to bed for the night, and in the morning I can help you out around here? I’ve seen how you live your life, and I’m sure you could use an extra hand. The more the merrier and all that shit.”

Tubbo couldn’t help himself; he beamed and practically shouted, “That’d be great! I had a whole bunch of ideas of ways to fix this place up and automate the farms, and with your help everything would go so much quicker! Sam’s been teaching me redstone, and I think you’ll love what I’ve got planned.”

Schlatt cut him off, “Tubbs, I can’t wait to hear all about it, but I really do want to go to bed soon. I’m exhausted, and I just know I’ll sleep so much better knowing you're safe. Got a place for me to crash?” 

Tubbo nodded and started leading him to the guest bedroom, which Tubbo never really had a use for before. Now, he supposed it would become his dad’s bedroom. 

It was really exciting to have his dad in his house again. He never thought he could have this, and the shock was still there. The reality of the situation was slowly sinking in, and Tubbo couldn’t help but be overjoyed.

Once they entered Schlatt’s new bedroom, he turned to Tubbo and said, “Thanks kiddo. I’ll see you in the morning, alright? I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

Tubbo cautiously leaned forward and pulled his dad into a hug, whispering, “Love you dad.”

Schlatt murmured back, “Love you too, Tubbs” before pulling away and ruffling his hair.

With a final parting smile, Tubbo closed the door behind him and was left alone with his thoughts.

Now that Tubbo could sit down and breathe, everything came crashing down. It had been months since he’d had an anxiety attack, but he felt one brewing. He just needed to get everything sorted in his brain, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad!

What did he know for sure? His dad wasn’t dead. Dream had helped him fake his death, and then lied to Tubbo about it. Which meant that Dream probably didn’t know that Schlatt was with Tubbo right now. Which meant that he either had to lie to Dream or confront Dream about his lying. That was going to be an issue, unless he could avoid talking to Dream.

That could work, Tubbo reasoned. He could just hide in his home. He’d been to town the day before, so he would be fine for at least a few weeks, if not more. He just had to hope Dream wouldn’t come by and visit. Dream rarely visited, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Tubbo would just not go talk to Dream, and he’d be fine. 

There was still one more problem: Tommy. 

Tubbo had promised Tommy he’d come visit soon, and if he didn’t Tommy would come to Tubbo’s cottage. Tommy couldn’t come to his cottage, because if he did then he’d see Schlatt, and if he saw Schlatt, then either Schlatt would kill Tommy or Tommy would kill Schlatt or he’d tell Phil that Schlatt was with Tubbo and then Phil would hate Tubbo even more than he already did. And Tubbo would probably die no matter what.

So the only thing Tubbo could do was go visit Tommy and pretend that everything was okay. As long as Tommy didn’t suspect a thing, Tubbo would be able to come back to his cottage and pretend that he wasn’t literally harboring a traitor.

Oh. Tubbo was harboring a traitor. His dad was a traitor, and he was living in Tubbo’s house. The only reason there weren’t people hunting for Schlatt was because Dream lied and said he was dead. If anyone found out, Tubbo would be in so much trouble. 

Tubbo would be a traitor too.

Tubbo knew he wasn’t a traitor! He loved Phil, and he thought he was a great ruler. He would never try to overthrow Phil. He just couldn’t kick out his dad. Even after everything, Schlatt was still his dad. 

Tubbo finally had what he’d been wishing for: his family back together. Schlatt seemed off, but Tubbo wasn’t sure what else to expect from someone who’d literally faked their own death. Schlatt was happy to see Tubbo, and Tubbo was overjoyed to have his dad back.

The panic was retreating. Tubbo felt a weight that had been on him for two years slowly start to lift. He took a deep breath, stood up, and went to get ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow was the start of a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Schlatt is not dead. Who would have guessed???? (me because I wrote it)
> 
> Anyway, I'm one of the mods for the Dream SMP Big Bang, and sign ups are open right now! Check out [our tumblr](https://dsmp-bigbang.tumblr.com/) for more information.
> 
> Let me know what you thought! I love comments and kudos, and I'm really excited for what I have planned.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, and I'd love to hear anything you have to say, even if it is just yelling at me about a cliffhanger. Speaking of, who do you think is Tubbo's dad, and what happened at the end of this chapter? I guess you'll have to stick around and find out!
> 
> I'm trying to have these chapters be 2-3k words each and I want them all to be good, so I can't promise an update schedule. But, I will try to update at least once a week, and if there's going to be a delay I will try to add a note.


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